Fiction: Legal Theft Project–One Punch (530 words)

05May

A perfect punch was equal parts precision and force. Hit them too hard in a soft spot, and they were down and out, unable to truly appreciate the message of pain and humiliation that the punch was meant to betray. Hit them too soft in a hard spot, and all the puncher had done was anger the punchee, injure their own hand and leave themselves vulnerable to a rebuttal from their punchee.

But Bryna Anne knew the equation for the perfect punch. In fact, the man in front of her was the one who had taught it to her, and that made it just a bit sweeter for her. She struck him hard and fast, leaving him doubled over and gasping for breath as all the wind was forced out of his lungs. Rika had to bring a hand up to her mouth, and turn away so she wouldn’t laugh directly in the injured man’s face. She hated him a little right now, but even still she wasn’t the type of woman to laugh at a man when he was down.

“Yeah, and you were gone for most of my life. These girls took care of me and I took care of them. They are more family then you’ll ever be.” Bryna Anne spat at him. “I suppose in part this is my fault, I should have warned her who you were. But you leave her alone from here on out.”

Bryna Anne considered punching him again, before deciding it wasn’t worth it and storming off. Kiley Rae stood flabbergasted for a moment longer, staring at her retreating form, before turning to the only other woman in the room. “Rika? What on earth did you tell her happened?”

Rika looked back at him coldly, trying desperately to remind that nervous pit in her stomach that she didn’t like him now, that she might never be able to love him again. “I told her what you said was the truth,” Rika answered clearly, “Now, if you ever want to tell me what the actual truth is, then I will be glad to pass that information on to her.”

The shadow passed across Kiley Rae’s face again, the one she had seen when he first told her that they couldn’t be together anymore. When he lied to her face and told her that his feelings had never really been that strong, that it was a game of flirtation got out of hand. It meant he was lying. It was the biggest lie he’d ever told her, but it was the same lying look as when he claimed he didn’t eat the last sweet in the box. “Rika, I…” he trailed off. At least he wasn’t going to lie to her again.

“Well, whatever it is, I hope it keeps you warm at night.” Rika had been hoping he’d come clean, that he couldn’t bear to watch her leave like this, but that just wasn’t the way things were meant to be. “Goodbye, Kiley Rae.”